Why you should take bizarre job interview questions very seriously

The Trump administration has learned the cost of not grilling its candidates — at least enough to prevent a revolving door of employees.

So far it’s hired (and let go) national security adviser Michael Flynn, chief of staff Reince Priebus, press secretary Sean Spicer and Anthony Scaramucci, who lasted 10 days as head of communications. The latest: President Trump’s chief strategist Stephen Bannon resigned, the White House confirmed Friday. Corporate America is vigilant, partly because it’s expensive to find the right candidates. That may partly explain why job-hunters may find their own interviews are becoming increasingly intense. In 2017, many employers want to know more than just your strengths and weaknesses — something they can learn from your references.

So hiring managers are asking far more probing interview questions. Like first dates, job interviews can be an exercise in how you handle surprises and wacky behavior. Facing a flood of applicants with similar skills and equally impressive academic backgrounds, companies are turning into professional matchmakers, coming up with creative ways to test for personality, character and — yes — sense of humor in an effort to find the right “cultural fit” for their organization. And there’s one way to test the ability of an applicant to think on his or her feet, and that’s lob a few oddball questions.

Careers website Glassdoor recently combed through tens of thousands of interview questions shared on its site over the last year, and came up with its annual list of curveballs. Like first dates, job interviews can be an exercise in stamina. But trivia questions, problem-solving and brain-teasers are the least of some interviewees’ worries. People can be asked to sing a jingle or even tell a joke. Be prepared for all questions, no matter how weird. It shows that you’ve done your homework and react well under pressure, experts say.